


Cassette Tapes and '60s Cars

by 50sNettle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Crush, Castiel and Jimmy Novak Are Twins, Castiel and Netflix, Castiel in a Band, M/M, Musicians, Pining Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7381459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/50sNettle/pseuds/50sNettle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Sure,” Cas replies, unbothered. He’s not much of a drinker, anyway. He’s more concerned about the fact that he essentially spent half an hour confessing his love to Dean Winchester via the medium of song.</p><p>[Or: the one where Castiel writes songs about Netflix and Dean Winchester, and Dean may or may not have noticed.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cassette Tapes and '60s Cars

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know. Enjoy some pointless Destiel fluff with awkward Castiel :3.
> 
> DISCLAIMER. I own nothing.

“I cannot believe that you forced me into this.” Cas adjusts the strap on his guitar, glaring at his twin brother.

Jimmy merely shrugs. “I didn’t force you into anything. You came willingly.” He eyes the other members of their band - if band is even the right term, Castiel thinks. They've only been rehearsing together for two months, certainly not long enough to be considered even halfway close to the level of good they will need to be in order not to get thrown off stage in the next half an hour.

“If you want someone to blame,” Jimmy continues, “then blame Gabe, for Christ sake. He was the one who was all for it.”

“Hey!” Gabriel looks up from where he is fixing his drum kit, and gives Jimmy the middle finger. “You started this.”

“He’s right,” Cas adds, because it is true, after all. Jimmy had been the one to suggest it.

They’d been sitting in the basement of the Novak house at the time, a little more than two months ago (‘they’ being Meg, Gabriel, and the Novak twins), catching up on college assignments, and trying to avoid the very obvious elephant in the room of Hannah deciding to break up with Cas’ sorry ass, for reasons that he wouldn't disclose, but everyone knew about. 

Namely, Dean Winchester. 

Well, maybe not Dean Winchester directly, for Cas is pretty sure that he isn't even on the fringes of Dean’s awareness, but that hasn't stopped his unwanted teenage hormones from latching on to the green-eyed boy from the moment that he first saw him, the first day of their freshman year at Lawrence High School. The apparently very heterosexual green-eyed boy, Cas might add, not that it makes much of a difference, considering Dean most likely doesn't even know his name. That didn't stop Hannah from dumping him as soon as she’d figured it out, though.

“You know what,” Jimmy had said suddenly, breaking the silence that had hung over them for the entire afternoon. “We should start a band. Like, right here, right now, in this basement.”

None of them had taken him seriously at the time - who would? - but Jimmy had been insistent, going so far as to make the point that Cas played guitar and wrote music in his spare time, something that had mortified the other Novak twin to no end. Because yes, he does do that, but no one really wants to hear songs about Netflix, bees, what he had for dinner at his step-sister Anna’s last Thursday, and pretty boys with wide green eyes that don’t know that he exists. (Well, one pretty green-eyed boy in particular, at least). 

Once Jimmy had been set on the idea, however, there had been no swaying him. And so, the four of them had cobbled together something that could be a band, possibly, in the future - if Jimmy hadn't gone and promised Roger that they were raring to go right now and could play a set for Wednesday music night at the local bar on campus.

It’s moments like these that make Cas wonder if his twin actually has a brain-to-mouth filter.

Right now, he’s pouting at both Castiel, and Gabriel. “That may be so, but you guys still followed me into this - willingly. So don’t start pointing the finger at me. Anyway, it’s not like you have time to now. We’re on in...well, now.” He re-pockets his phone, before flashing the other three a smile. “Break a leg.”

“If this destroys my reputation, you’ll be the one with the broken leg,” Meg grumbles, as they all make to follow him, up onto the makeshift stage that is usually used for karaoke in the evening. There’s only a small handful of people in the bar tonight, and even less who are actually paying attention (Dean Winchester, sitting in the corner, thank fuck, is not one of them), but the feel of more than three pairs of eyes on him at one time still makes Cas’ stomach churn unattractively, as he takes centre stage, in front of the microphone.

“Uh -” He clears his throat. “Hey. We’re, uh...” He glances behind him, at his friends, before looking back to the small audience. “Well, um, we don’t actually have a name yet...We’ll, er, get back to you on that. Anyway, this is our first song. It’s called ‘Spaghetti Hoops and Gravy’. Um, enjoy.” He starts playing the opening bars, the others joining in with their respective instruments. It’s still awkward, and a little clunky, but they’re all playing in time, which is more than what he had been expecting. The song even earns them a smattering of applause from the people paying them any attention.

“Thanks.” Cas risks a glance at Dean’s corner. Still distracted. Hopefully it stays that way. “Uh, this next song - it’s called ‘Forest Eyes’, and is probably better than the last song.” This provokes a chuckle from someone watching, to Cas’ surprise. “Okay - one, two, three, four...”

When they get through three more songs, Cas starts to relax a little more. The audience of roughly seven people that does not include his source of inspiration appear to be rather patient with the few odd notes that have cropped up, no one has boo-ed them off, or thrown something at them, and he’s even pulled a few more laughs out of them. Perhaps this performing stuff really isn't that bad, he muses, as he checks the tuning on his guitar, and looks back over the tiny group.

“Okay, everybody, this is the last song of our set tonight. It’s -” He stops suddenly. He’s thrown another glance over to The Corner, and suddenly, Dean Winchester is not caught up in conversation with the other guy at the bar. No, rather, he’s staring right back, watching on with clear interest.

Shit.

Gabriel clears his throat from behind, making Cas start a little. “Wh - Oh, yeah, sorry. Uh -” He clears his throat again, back to the bumbling idiot that he had been at the start. “- this last song is called...um, it’s called ‘Cassette Tapes and ‘60s Cars’?” It sounds more like a question that a statement. “Um, yeah, enjoy.”

Well done, Novak, he mentally curses himself, as he starts singing the opening verse of the song. That didn't look unsuspecting at all.

What makes it worse is that Dean doesn’t look away once during the duration of the song. Those damn green eyes stay fixed on Cas and the guitar for the entire time, and don’t look away until the closing notes of Jimmy’s bass guitar have faded away, and the other Novak twin is speaking again.

“So, uh -” Cas shuffles. “That was our set, folks. We’ve been, uh - We’ve been the band that doesn’t have a name, and we’ll be at the bar now. Thanks?” 

A muffled collection of applause follows the four of them off stage.

Jimmy claps his twin on the shoulder, as soon as they’ve set their instruments down. “That was freaking awesome!”

“You think?” Cas sends him an unconvinced look. “Even when I forgot half of the notes that I was supposed to be playing?”

“No one noticed!”

“Yeah!” Gabriel agrees. “You were great, Cassie.”

“Not bad, Clarence,” Meg adds, before inclining her head towards the bar. “Now, let’s get a drink or seven. I think we earned it after bullshitting our way through a half hour of songs, yes?”

“Agreed.” Jimmy uses the arm around his brother to steer him across the room. “What do you want, Cassie? A beer?”

“Sure,” Cas replies, unbothered. He’s not much of a drinker, anyway. He’s more concerned about the fact that he essentially spent half an hour confessing his love to Dean Winchester via the medium of song.

Of course, his run of luck can’t just cease there, can it? He’s only been sitting at the bar thirty seconds, before there’s a tap on his shoulder, drawing his attention to the person sitting next to him.

“Hey,” says the incredibly familiar voice, and Cas might just burst into song (again) or die of embarrassment like a twelve year old with their first crush, because Dean Winchester is beside him and talking directly to him.

“Uh -” Is all that comes out of his mouth.

“You’re Cas, right?” Dean continues, undeterred by the gormless expression.

“I, er - Yeah. Yeah, I am.” Cas takes a long gulp of his beer, trying not to recoil at the bitter taste. When did his mouth get so dry?

“Cool. I’m Dean.”

“Yeah, I know,” he replies, before cringing. “I mean, uh - well, I didn’t - I didn’t know, per say - I just -” Cas needs to stop talking. He needs to stop now. “I...saw you around?”

“Really? Huh.” Dean raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment on Cas’ apparent lack of being able to string together simple sentences. “Well, anyway, I just wanted to say that you were great up there.”

“Wh - Really?”

“Yeah, man, really. Particularly liked that last song you did.” Dean takes a sip of his own beer. “Was that, uh - was that written ‘bout anyone?”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

“Well - I, uh - It was...it was about -” Cas starts, but his brain has seemingly lost the ability to make sound come out of his mouth. “Um...-”

“It’s fine.” Dean cuts off his wordless hum, quickly downing the rest of his drink. “Don’t, er, don’t worry about it. Stupid question. Can I buy you a drink?” He offers, switching the topic of conversation before Cas can attempt to form the words ‘The song was actually about you’.

“Yes.” The response is too fast to sound casual. “I mean, uh, sure, why not?” Cas gives a nervous chuckle, before making a solemn vow to never, under any circumstances, speak, or write songs about actual people, again, even guys with beautiful green eyes.

Dean chuckles too, but the sound is warm, not mocking. 

“You’re kinda cute, you know that?” He muses, possibly more to himself than Cas, before shaking his head and ordering them both beers.

Kinda cute.

Dean Winchester thinks he’s ‘kinda cute’.

Forget his earlier vow, Cas is definitely writing a song about this.


End file.
